Surgery helps West Bloomfield man drop more than 200 pounds

Scotte Steele, general manager, left, and Ari Kresch, owner of 1-800-Law-Firm in Southfield. Steele, a Bloomfield Hills resident lost 240 pounds following a mild stroke. Insurance initially didn't cover it, so Kresch switched providers and made sure Scott got surgery. The company made changes including a running track, healthy vending machines for the emplyees. Friday, May 3, 2013 The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON

Diet and exercise work for many, but for one Oakland County resident, that simply wasn't enough.

Scott Steele, a West Bloomfield resident and general manager at 1-800-LAW-FIRM in Southfield, underwent a bariatric procedure that has caused him to drop nearly 240 pounds -- and has potentially saved his life.

Steele had been struggling with his weight for most of his adult life and was considered morbidly obese at around 425 pounds at his heaviest. Numerous diets were met with the same result: Loss of some weight, a plateau and then instant regaining of weight once the diet ended, he said.

Advertisement

Sometimes diet and exercise fail to make any lasting difference, especially for people whose obesity is an innate genetic trait, like Steele. It wasn't until 2010 that he finally received a sign that called for drastic measures. Steele had a minor stroke in June that year while waiting for approval from his insurance company for the weight loss procedure that could add years to his life.

"It was kind of like a warning stroke, like 'Hey, you better do something and you better do it now!'" he said. "I waited two days to even go to the hospital because I didn't realize I was having a stroke."

That's why he opted for a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric sleeve, in August of 2010. A gastric sleeve surgery is a bariatric procedure that reduces the stomach's size by nearly 75 to 80 percent.

Unfortunately, Steele's insurance provider at the time did not cover the cost of the surgery under his plan, calling it an elective procedure. That's what caused Ari Kresch to jump to action.

Kresch, owner of 1-800-LAW-FIRM, changed insurance providers for the company to one that offered coverage for Steele's procedure just before Steele suffered from his stroke. This was after Kresch had encouraged Steele to take advantage of a gym membership.

Steele spent four to five days a week working out. After results failed to materialize despite Steele's efforts, Kresch knew he had to do something to help.

"I watched his efforts and there's a lot of people that get results," Kresch said. "He for some reason was not getting results from all that effort. This was kind of a last resort and I'm thrilled that it has had such a positive impact."

This procedure and subsequent weight loss has not only been a boon to Steele's health, but also to his self-image. He said that he doesn't have very many photos from before his procedure because of his weight.

"A lot of people that are overweight, they don't have a lot of pictures of before," he said. "You avoid having your picture taken."

In the nearly three years since Steele's surgery, he's dropped nearly 240 pounds and recently weighed in at around 186 pounds, he said.

There have been a few side-effects of the procedure, Steele said, including gastric reflux and the elimination of a gland in his stomach that produces the enzyme that promotes an appetite have created some inconveniences in his everyday life.

"One of the things I had to learn after the surgery was to remember to eat," he said.

But the procedure was worth the minor discomfort and, being an orthoscopic procedure, was less invasive than other options he considered such as gastric bypass, he said.

Kresch said that following Steele's surgery, he implemented new measures to promote healthy activities and habits among his staff of 50 employees, including a running track encircling the office, healthy snack choices in vending machines and an informal "Biggest Loser"-like office weight loss competition.

"It's just a consciousness about health that I like to inspire, and looking at a track as soon as you walk into the office just puts it into your consciousness," he said.

Steel said that those in similar situations shouldn't cease in their attempts to improve their health.

"Don't give up," he said. "Explore every avenue out there to help you and make whatever changes necessary. Your health and well-being are of paramount importance."